chemistry

Toms effect

Toms effect is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Toms effect rather than just read about it. In short: In fluid dynamics, the Toms effect is a reduction of the drag of a turbulent flow through a pipeline when polymer solutions are added. In 1948, B.

Key takeaways

Toms effect belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Toms effect to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Toms effect from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In fluid dynamics, the Toms effect is a reduction of the drag of a turbulent flow through a pipeline when polymer solutions are added. In 1948, B. A. Toms discovered by experiments that the addition of a small amount of polymer into a Newtonian solvent (parts per million by weight), which results in a non-Newtonian fluid solution, can reduce the skin frictional drag on a stationary surface by up to 80% when turbulence is present. This technology has been successfully implemented to reduce pumping cost for oil pipelines, to increase the flow rate in fire fighting equipment and to help irrigation and drainage. It also has potential applications in the design of ship and submarine hulls to achieve an increased speed and reduced energy cost.

See also Drag reducing agent FENE model Non-Newtonian fluid Direct numerical simulation

References

External links Alyeska Pipe Line Stefano, Musacchio (2004). Effects of friction and polymers on 2D turbulence (PhD thesis). University of Turin. hdl:20.500.14242/227335.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Toms effect

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Toms effect claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Toms effect before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Toms effect ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Toms effect

In research: Toms effect appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Toms effect in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Toms effect is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Polymers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Toms effect outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Toms effect in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Toms effect means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Toms effect out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Toms effect in simple terms?

In fluid dynamics, the Toms effect is a reduction of the drag of a turbulent flow through a pipeline when polymer solutions are added. In 1948, B.

Why does Toms effect matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Toms effect?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Toms effect.